I agree that neither side has much to gain by playing the game. It is a lose/lose for both teams in the sense of schedule strength, prestige risk of losing, etc. For example, if BYU wins, national media says, "Who cares? They beat a 5-7 P12 team". And if Utah wins, the national media says, "Who cares? A patsy BYU with a weak schedule."

But as a pure college football fan, one who loves the game, the competition, the trash talking, the suspense, the comraderie, the family rivalry, to me there is NO OTHER RIVALRY IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIKE IT. You literally have alumni from each school on each coaching staff. You have brothers and extended family. You have the church thing. You have the proximity. You have the public school private school thing. This rivalry is spectacular on so many levels. In state, out of state. You can go to any church building anywhere in the world and there will be that one BYU fan or that one UTE fan.

Downside? Yes, vitriol, hatred. But I'd rather someone be passionate than have a dead fish handshake anyday.